Learning
by Manic 8-Ball
Summary: It's been two years since the end of the quest on the other side of the well, and Inuyasha has been spending some time in Kagome's world. What has he learned while he's been there, and what will it mean for the hanyou and miko? WARNING: HEAVY sap/fluff


_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Kagome or any of the places or songs mentioned herein, so please don't bother me if you do. It's not my fault I find enjoyment and inspiration in other people's possessions, really._

**A/N: **Okay, so I'm working on Chapter 12 of Dogs of War--honestly. Again, an idea for a short story kind of popped into my head, so rather than ignore it I thought I would embrace it and the opportunity to be just slightly more prolific. As promised this time it's an Inuyasha oneshot, so now you know I'm fair minded. I hope you enjoy it—this one's kind of personal for me, and I'll explain why at the end. As such, please be nice when you review.

* * *

Inuyasha was learning.

It was taking some time, but he was definitely learning. It had been nearly two years since the Shikon no Tama had been wished into oblivion, since Kikyou had finally relinquished her piece of Kagome's soul and gone to rest in the great beyond. The wish had been a simple one, but with massive repercussions. Midoriko was released from her ceaseless battle, and much of the damage Naraku had caused was repaired. One of the indirect consequences that had surprised everyone was the binding of Inuyasha's soul to Kagome's—especially since nobody had asked for it, and particularly because it was Kikyou who had done the binding. Kikyou had said the binding had two effects: first, it would ensure that Kagome and Inuyasha's lifespans were matched, so that one would not grossly outlive the other; and second, it would allow them to find each other no matter where or when they were. To Inuyasha the message had been clear—he was released from his responsibility to Kikyou and she wanted him to love and protect her soul in its new existence as Kagome.

Kagome had mixed feelings about the gift to begin with—not so much because she didn't trust Kikyou or wasn't glad to have such a bond with Inuyasha, but because she wasn't sure it was what Inuyasha really wanted.

'Leave it to her to look a gift horse in the mouth out of consideration for other people,' he thought with no small amount of admiration. He knew she still wondered sometimes if he regretted the binding, but that would change soon.

'I'll make sure that after tonight she knows good and well that I don't and won't ever regret being bound to her.'

After all, Inuyasha was learning. He'd had to since he'd decided to spend more time on Kagome's side of the well. He'd taken to wearing shoes and what Kagome called "street clothes" in order to be with her in public without drawing unnecessary attention. He'd even gotten a seasonal job as a gamekeeper at a wildlife preserve in the North during the spring and summer in order to earn some money, which he found was hard to do without in the modern world.

Though it made her sad that he wasn't around constantly—and he knew it did, even if she didn't tell him outright—he also knew that she understood that he was doing all of this for her. And it was all culminating tonight.

He sat in the twilight carefully on a stone bench in his suit looking up at the stars that were just beginning to shine through the artificial city lights, contemplating the evening he had carefully planned for the last four months. He hadn't told Kagome anything other than it was time they went out for a nice evening, and that she should wear a nice evening dress.

He heard the shoji screen on the back of the house open and he turned to watch Kagome exit the house in her stunning dark blue dress, her ebony hair up in a stylish bun, and her features just slightly enhanced with a tasteful amount of makeup.

He smiled. 'She doesn't really need it, but it makes her feel good. At least she doesn't cake it on like some of the other girls in this time.' He grinned wider as she walked underneath the Goshinboku and called his name up into the branches.

"I'm over here Kagome," he called loudly enough for her to hear. She turned away from the tree with a mildly surprised look on her face. "What?" he inquired, "Aren't I allowed to sit on the ground like these normal people you keep talking about?"

She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Of course you are, but you usually don't, and since you're a creature of habit it made sense to check your usual spot first." She stopped and looked at him up and down when she was only a few steps away, making Inuyasha feel somewhat self-conscious.

Inuyasha cleared his throat after a short while, "Um, is the suit okay? I think it belonged to your dad…I can go change if you want—"

"No, no," Kagome stopped him, "the suit is fine. I just don't think I've ever seen you dressed this way before. I like it—you look good in a jacket and tie. I never would have guessed." Kagome grinned at him good naturedly and he knew she was teasing him.

"Well, it's not like I'd want to wear this everyday or anything," he shot back. "But for tonight, I think this will work okay." Inuyasha returned her grin, all the while fingering the velvet bag in his pocket. "Should we go? I think we'll be late to the restaurant…"

"Inuyasha, do you mean we have reservations somewhere? Wow, you really are full of surprises tonight."

"Keh. Can it wench—unless you'd rather stay in tonight," Inuyasha waggled his eyebrows at her over his shoulder as he walked down the steps of the shrine.

Kagome feigned insult, "Well, I never—what exactly are you insinuating?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Inuyasha smirked to himself as he helped Kagome onto the back of the motor scooter they shared as a means of transportation to and from the school and the train station.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called over his shoulder as he started the scooter running.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks—for taking me out. We don't get to do this very often."

"I know, Kagome, and I'm sorry. I've just been so busy lately—"

"It's okay, but thank you," Kagome smiled, even though he couldn't see it.

"No problem," he said back to her as he moved out into to traffic.

(*) (*) (*) (*) (*) (*) (*) (*) (*) (*)

At the restaurant—an upscale sushi place Inuyasha knew of by reputation, but due to his particular tastes he rarely ate out—he and Kagome were seated immediately as they entered.

He found out that what he had heard about the place had been well justified.

"Mmmm, Inuyasha this is delicious. Here try some of this—" Kagome offered her platter to him and he picked up a plain sushi roll, dipping it in the soy sauce. He still couldn't bring himself to eat spicy foods, and wasabi was one of the worst.

He nodded vigorously after savoring the flavor in his mouth, returning to his favorite pastime of the evening—watching Kagome. He did this for a few minutes until she noticed he hadn't been eating.

"Inuyasha, are you okay?"

Her question yanked him out of his reverie. "Sure, why wouldn't I be? I'm just enjoying the company and the food," he smiled reassuringly.

"Are you sure?" she pressed. "You seem…preoccupied."

"No, Kagome. I'm not preoccupied, I'm just enjoying our night out," he covered. 'I've got to stop doing that,' he thought. 'She'll figure me out if I don't quit making a fool of myself practically floating out of my chair watching her.'

Fortunately she let it go and smiled at him. Eventually they finished and politely told the waiter that they had not saved any room for dessert before Inuyasha paid the check.

"Thanks again for the nice dinner," Kagome said as they were leaving the restaurant. "It's been a fun night."

Inuaysha nodded. "Yeah, I guess it has. But we ain't done yet." At Kagome's surprised look, he elaborated (slightly). "I've got one more stop I wanna make with you before we go home."

Kagome only raised her eyebrows as she got on the back of the scooter once more. "Whatever you say, Inuyasha. I'm not sure how many more surprises I can take tonight though," she teased as they rode off down the busy street.

(*) (*) (*) (*) (*) (*) (*) (*) (*) (*)

When Inuyasha stopped the scooter across the street from a divey looking building that had swing music blaring out the open windows, Kagome didn't seem sure that he had stopped at the right place.

"Inuyasha, is this really where you meant to go?"

Distractedly, Inuyasha replied, "Sure it is. Why? Is something wrong with it?"

Kagome, still staring at the building, shook her head slightly and said, "No, nothing wrong, but I think this is a dance place. We can't dance." She stopped suddenly and turned a suspicious look towards the hanyou. "Can we?"

Inuyasha ignored her obvious suspicion and took her arm. "Come on, Kagome. Follow me."

When they got inside and Inuyasha paid the cover charge, he immediately took Kagome up to an out of the way row of seats. He pulled out a chair for her and took her jacket that she had worn to ward of the chill of the night. Her smile dazzled him so that he forgot to breathe for a moment.

"Inuyasha, you really have been holding out on me. Where did all of this come from? I've never known you to be so refined," she said with a grin. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her comment on his perceived lack of refinement. "Not that I don't like it!" she protested, "It's just unexpected—that's all. What else have you been doing besides working?"

"Nothing much. I'm just learning, that's all Kagome," he replied slyly. "Wait here, I'll go get us something to drink." And with that he left Kagome to enjoy the music and the dancing going on out on the floor.

Before making it to the bar, he made a quick stop at the DJ's booth. He tapped the young man on the shoulder to ensure he had his attention. "Hi, I'm Inuyasha, and I need a really big favor," he said as he retrieved a CD from inside his jacket. "I'm asking my girlfriend to marry me tonight, and I need you to clear the floor for us and play this song."

The DJ smiled knowingly. "Of course, I can take care of that. When do you want to do it?"

Inuyasha thought for a second. "About 10 minutes should be okay—we'll be out on the floor by then."

"Okay, no problem," said the friendly DJ.

Inuyasha handed the man the CD with a precious note of Yen. "Thank you very much—it means a great deal to me."

The DJ nodded and smiled, immediately trying out the CD and fitting it into the rotation.

Inuyasha returned to the table with some cups of water a few minutes later and sat down next to Kagome.

"What do you think?" he asked her as she sipped her water.

"Well, I think I would never have guessed you would like this kind of music. I figured you more for a metal rock fan," she laughed.

Inuyasha made a face. "Feh, nothing but screaming and un-musical noise. No, this is much more fun. I like this music because no matter what you're feeling it makes you want to move and forget about your troubles. I wouldn't say it's relaxing, but it sure is motivating. What do you think of the music?"

"Actually," Kagome said, taking another sip of her water, "I've always really liked this music. It reminds me of my parents—my dad used to listen to this music a lot before he died, and he and Okaa-san would always dance."

Inuyasha stood and pushed his chair in before offering his hand to Kagome. "Would you like to dance now? With me?" he asked, suddenly feeling uncertain.

Kagome looked surprised again. "Are you sure? Inuyasha, you don't have to do this all for me, I'm having a wonderful time just being here with you. You don't have to dance unless you want to…"

Inuyasha snorted. "Feh, as if I would ask if I didn't want to dance with you," he retorted, remembering his earlier thought about looking a gift horse in the mouth. "Wench," he added with a mischievous grin.

"That's it—you've got yourself a dance partner," she responded to the challenge. "I just hope you can keep up," she challenged as she took his hand and stood. They moved out to the dance floor and Inuyasha immediately lead her into a two-step, and then transitioned them into a triple-step, inserting various spins and dips in appropriate places.

Kagome's challenge forgotten, she looked at Inuyasha with a bewildered expression. "How? When did you—"

"Your mother," Inuyasha said with a grin. "Like I said, I'm learning." Kagome smiled back and lost herself in the music and the skillfully led dance that Inuyasha shared with her.

They kept dancing through the next three songs, always moving, making their way through the crowded dance floor, and never missing a step. Inuyasha danced with flourish, and took every opportunity to show off his beautiful dancing partner, earning them many grins and nods of approval from their fellow dancers. The last song came to a rousing finish while Kagome and Inuyasha spun around one another and dipped and popped in all the right places, finishing with a long, low dip. They smiled at each other for just an extra second as the music ended before the DJ's voice came over the speakers.

"Okay folks, we've got a little bit of a special occasion tonight, so I need everyone to clear the dance floor."

Inuyasha and Kagome came out of their dip and Kagome asked, "I wonder what's going on?"

Inuyasha mumbled, "I'm not sure…" as they got off to the side of the dance floor. As soon as the floor was completely empty he suddenly stepped back out onto the floor pulling Kagome with him. "Oh yeah! I forgot, this is us," he said mischievously.

Kagome stared at Inuyasha, not quite comprehending his words. "Inuyasha, what do you—" She was interrupted as he put his finger to her lips.

"Shhhh, Kagome. Just focus on me for now—it's just the two of us," he said gently. The bewildered look in her eyes remained, but the indignant shock on her face was replaced by a questioning and amused grin. And then the music started.

He took them into a slow two-step.

_The book of Love_

_Is long and boring_

_No-one can lift the damn thing_

_It's full of charts and facts and figures_

_And instructions for dancing…_

He accented all the right parts of the music with an appropriate dip or a slow spin that twirled her dress just right. Everything was exactly the way he had wanted it—it could not have been better if it had been written in a book.

_But I_

_I love it when you read to me_

_And you_

_You can read me anything_

Each time he dipped her, he gave her a brilliant smile, and she smiled back just as brightly. Tears of happiness were brimming in her eyes that she constantly blinked back to keep from spoiling the mood—she desperately wanted to keep dancing.

_The book of Love_

_Has music in it_

_In fact that's where music comes from_

_Some of it's just transcendental_

_Some of it's just really dumb…_

They smiled so brightly at each other as they twirled around the floor alone, that those watching could not help but smile out at them, none begrudging the two their quiet duet on the dance floor.

_But I_

_I love it when you sing to me_

_And you_

_You can sing me anything_

The singer ceased his intonations and was replaced by stringed instruments. In this moment Inuyasha spun Kagome away from him, only to take a knee before her as he reached into his jacket pocket.

"Kagome," he said holding the simple ring before her and looking up into her quickly tearing eyes, "it would be the greatest gift you could give to me, to consent to be my wife for the rest of time and all eternity. I promise that I will forever protect you and stand by you through whatever may come. I love you with all that I am and ever hope to be. Will you marry me?"

Kagome could barely speak as he finished his words, so she nodded and mouthed 'Yes' through the tears of joy that she was no longer able to contain. As he placed the ring on her left hand he stood and they held each other. "I love you," they each whispered as they continued to move slowly to the song that was still playing.

All around them their audience clapped and cheered for the happy occasion as the singer's voice came in again over it all.

_The book of Love_

_Is long and boring_

_And written very long ago_

_It's full of flowers_

_And heart shaped boxes_

_And things we're all too young to know_

_But I_

_I love it_

_When you give me things_

_And you_

_You ought to give me_

_Wedding rings_

_And I_

_I love it_

_When you give me things_

_And you_

_You ought to give me_

_Wedding rings_

_You ought to give me_

_Wedding rings_

* * *

**A/N**: Okay, I managed to get through that. The song is _The Book of Love_, by Peter Gabriel. I'm not sure whether it appears anywhere other than on the 'Shall We Dance' soundtrack (Movie with J-Lo, Richard Gere, and Susan Sarandon. Oddly enough it's actually an American re-make of a really great Japanese film...). Whether or not it's obvious, this is based on real events--not everything here is exactly how it went in real life, and the other party involved may say that things were perceived a little differently on her end. But this is the story of how I asked my wife to marry me, and I still can't believe how unreal it sounds when I tell it or write it down. I hope you enjoyed it, and if for whatever reason you didn't, please just save me and you the effort and don't leave a negative review--I'll just remove it anyway. Take care, and I promise _Dogs of War _chapter 12 is on the way...really!


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